Experiencing Justice Matters: A Case Study in Encountering Diversity across a Core Curriculum

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Experiencing Justice Matters A Case Study in
Encountering Diversity across a Core Curriculum

• Michelle Filling-Brown, Ph.D., Chair of
  Assessment Committee, ECG Coordinator, English
  Department
• Laura Groves, Ph.D., Assessment Committee, Chair
  Social Work Department
• Darryl Mace, Ph.D., Diversity Coordinator, Chair
  History and Political Science Department

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Overview

• History of core curriculum
• Core revision
• Diversity integration
• Challenge of assessing

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Old Core Curriculum

• Diversity Distribution
• Diversity course requirement
• Writing Competency and
• Social Justice
• ENG 101
• SEM 100, 300
• College Commitment
• Extensive use of adjunct faculty

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Justice Matters

• Diversity
• Diversity infusion across core
• Explorations
• Literacies
• Writing and Social Justice
• ECG 100, 200, 300
• Explorations and Literacies
• College Commitment
• Minimal use of adjunct faculty

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Creating a Culture of Diversity

• -Faculty development
• -Online pedagogical resources
• -Resourcing diversity initiatives
• -Inclusivity council
• -Hiring Diversity Coordinator
• -Office of Student Diversity
• Initiatives
• -Mission Statement

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Revision to Mission Statement

• Education of the Heart  ?Cabrini College is a
  Catholic institution of higher education
  dedicated to academic excellence, leadership
  development, and a commitment to social justice.
  The College welcomes learners of all faiths,
  cultures, and backgrounds and prepares them to
  become engaged citizens of the world. 

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Faculty Development

• Diversity and Drinks
• Composing Disposition
• Assessment

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Assessment

• -Department and Core Assessment
• -Process for programmatic assessment of
• Justice Matters
• -Common Rubrics
• -Signature Assignments
• -Norming and Calibration Sessions
• -Technology

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Sample Signature Assignments

• Views and Voices
• Interfaith Dialogue
• Womens Studies

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REL 111 - Faith and JusticeDr. Nicholas
Rademacher

• You walk into Jazzmans and find two of your
  favorite Scandinavian friends in a fierce debate.
  One of your friends, Gunnhild, is an avowed
  atheist who has committed her entire existence to
  defending and promoting her favorite political
  party, which involves overthrowing the current
  political-economic structures of the West, even
  if it means Ikea will cease to exist.
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• She is arguing with your friend Bjorn who
  considers himself a jack-of-all-trades because he
  samples everything the world has to offer he
  is in his Senior year of college but still has
  not settled on a major in the last election he
  worked for both McCain and Obama on the weekend,
  after crawling between several major parties, he
  attends a Mosque, a Synagogue, and a Christian
  church.
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• The argument started with Bjorn telling Gunhild
  that her religion was her political perspective
  and Gunnhild accusing Bjorn of having no faith
  because he goes to so many different services on
  the weekend after partying. But now they are
  debating the schools recent decision to plow
  under all of the remaining woods surrounding the
  campus in order to provide free housing for the
  neediest members of the community.
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• Intervene before Gunnhild throws her still
  steaming hot coffee into Bjorns face!
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REL 111 - Faith and JusticeDr. Nicholas
Rademacher (cont.)

• A successful intervention would include the
  following steps
• First, explain the ground rules for inter-faith
  dialogue to your friends. List all the rules but
  explain two of the rules in detail that you think
  are most relevant to their particular debate so
  that they will at least begin talking to one
  another.
• Second, explain how they both have faith and do
  your best to explain how Fowler would probably
  identify their particular faith commitments.
  Since they have not taken this class or done any
  of the readings, you will need to explain in
  detail what Fowler means by faith. Address
  Gunnhild and Bjorn directly.
• Finally, in light of Burghardts definitions of
  justice, address the issue of the schools
  decision to tear down the trees on campus to
  build free housing for the communitys neediest
  members. Using Burghardts definitions of justice
  explain to them how it could be seen both as
  justice and an injustice depending on how you
  look at it.
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Rubrics

• Rubric for each Exploration and Literacy
• With Diversity infused across the curriculum,
  where is Diversity in these courses and rubrics?

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Exercise

• Scoring student artifacts using multiple rubrics
• Where is diversity integrated in the
• assignment and the assessment tool?

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Questions?

• Contact
• filling_at_cabrini.edu
• lcg723_at_cabrini.edu
• dcm722_at_cabrini.edu